Hey everyone! I found this forum this past summer and have been lurking since. I fell in love with the Sierra when I moved out here in 2011 from Michigan/Florida. I wasn't much of an outdoorsy person before then, but when I did my first backpacking trip ever - to Cottonwood Lakes - I was hooked. My boyfriend and I did the HST (on what was my 4th backpacking trip) and I just couldn't get enough (I fell in love with Precipice Lake). The summer of 2012 was spent wandering the Sierra and doing the JMT. This past summer, we were had several trips lined up (Cloud Canyon to Deadman Canyon, the HSR, etc), but sadly we didn't get to do any of them...

Last February, I broke my back in a skiing "accident". I suffered an L1 burst fracture and a severely bruised spinal cord (if you look at my CT scans, it's shocking my spinal cord wasn't severed). Two back surgeries (T12 - L2 fusion), having to learn to use my legs again, and lots of PT later, I'm back to hiking (and cautious skiing). I haven't had a successful backpacking trip yet (only tried once), but I'm honestly shocked every day by the fact that I even got to hike this past summer. The Sierra was nature therapy for me in the recovery madness. Trips to Lamarck Col, Piute Pass, Bishop Pass, Granite Lakes, etc., made me appreciate the Sierra more than I already did. I'll stop rambling for now, but I have a blog about my life bionic adventures if anyone wants to follow along http://astrogerly.blogspot.com/.

Thanks, Rockchucker! It definitely hasn't been easy at times, but knowing how lucky I am (and how much worse it could have turned out), keeps me pushing on and staying positive! I'm just ready for the nerves in my feet/ankles to start cooperating again...

Welcome to HST! Quite an ordeal that you have had to persevere through and it is even more remarkable to read your that your out again enjoying the mountains. Hope you will be able to visit some of the places you mentioned on you wish list and maybe you might even consider joining us on our HST meet-up in July. http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... f=1&t=9783

Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org

Thanks Maverick! We're definitely planning on attempting the trips this year, and spending some quality time in the Evolution Basin too. We were hoping to make it there at some point last year, but it has been moved to the top of the list for this year (I love that entire area). We'll definitely keep the HST meet-up on our radar and try to make it!

Was just told about this forum on another forum with some fellow hikers. Seemed to be the right place now that I'm getting into overnight hikes.

Always have enjoyed the outdoors; smells, animals, scenery, everything. Grew up in the city and family on my mothers side owned a farm. Would always spend my summers there and I believe that's where I got my love for the great outdoors.

Moved to California recently and have been to Yosemite about five times already. Not an expert so have stuck with some small day hikes for the time being, but plan to do some more serious stuff this year.

Sorry I didn't run across your intro until recently. Welcome to the forum. I wanted to say how inspired I am about your courageous comeback. I climbed everything I could get my fingers on as a kid, then fell out of a tree house at age seven and cracked a pair of thoracic vertebrae. Fortunately all I had to do was sleep on a board and wear a steel back brace for 6 months. When I first started rock climbing, I had some relearning to work through. You are showing some real bravery after what you've gone through and I really admire you. After I broke my hip in my 30's, I gave up downhilling and stuck with nordic, canoeing, and backpacking.

BTW, I had to ask about the astro part of your moniker, is that related to a baseball team or space stuff? Just curious, 'cause I'm a total fanatic about the latter of those.